You Found a Guy?
by Siancore
Summary: Did a S6 rewatch and felt the need to write Jealous!Rick. Here's what I came up with. This will be a two-parter.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I did a rewatch of S6 and I always feel like writing jealous Rick when I do. I hope you enjoy this little two-parter.

* * *

The autumn days were steadily growing cooler as the residents of the Alexandria Safe-Zone busied themselves in preparation for the winter months. The community was a bustling hive of activity in the aftermath of the destruction and turmoil they had endured recently. Life was as calm as could be given the circumstances surrounding their current existence. Rick and Michonne fell into a domesticity that was almost routine, but to Rick, anything but mundane.

The best part of his day was often any and all things that involved Michonne. The playful banter he shared with her; the small, incidental touches that occurred because of their close living quarters; coming home to find her reading to Judith; the way her smile lit up her entire face; how she would wait up for him after a long day; the solace and friendship he found in her. To Rick, just being near Michonne brought him great happiness and he had been aware of it for some time.

Like most days, if Rick was working away inside of the Safe-Zone, he would end up at the house they shared so that he, Michonne, and Judith could partake in lunch together. It was more likely than not a simple meal due to the fact that their rations were low and Michonne was not the best cook, though Rick would never actually say anything about her lack of culinary skill. He thought she walked on water and everything she did was brilliant either way.

As usual around noon, Rick came home to take a quick break and eat. He entered the front door to find Michonne and Carol eating cookies and drinking coffee while Judith took a nap.

"Hey," he greeted jovially as the women responded in kind. "I'm just gonna wash up and I'll be right back."

"Okay," said Michonne. "Soup's almost ready."

Rick went upstairs to his bathroom and washed the soil from his hardened hands. He had not forgotten all he had learned about growing and nurturing plants. He smiled when he thought about the lessons in farming that Hershel had given him; the line about needing a bigger ass always caused Rick to chuckle to himself.

He splashed his face with the cool water, towelled himself dry, and then checked his reflection in the mirror. Using his fingers, he fixed his hair before smoothing down his shirt. He found that he was paying extra attention to his own appearance lately, wanting to present well to Michonne. His tresses were growing and his beard was neat. Pleased with how he looked, Rick made his way back down stairs.

Making his descent, he could hear Michonne laughing with their friend; a grin played on his features at the melodic sound. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he caught a morsel of their conversation.

"He's _so_ gorgeous," said Michonne.

Rick stopped in his tracks; he listened more intently.

"He is pretty cute," replied Carol; Rick knitted his brow and wondered who they were speaking about.

"I know I shouldn't be shirking off my responsibilities to see him, but I can't help it," Michonne offered, " _Ugh_. I think I'm in love."

Rick felt his stomach drop and a pang stab at his chest; his smile was gone. She was definitely not talking about him. He wondered how it could have happened; how she could have fallen for some other man. They spent all of their spare time together. When she was not out on runs or on watch duty; when he was not busy with community infrastructure and being the leader, they were together. Obviously, she had been spending her time with someone else as well. Rick could not fault her for it; perhaps he had just taken too long in telling her how he really felt.

He stepped down and alerted the two women to his presence. Michonne smiled at Rick and stood, making her way towards the stove top. She retrieved a bowl and began to serve up the warm, steaming potage. Holding the dish out towards Rick, Michonne said, "Here."

"No, thank you," said Rick. "I'm not feelin' that hungry anymore."

Michonne raised her eyebrows and set the bowl down on the counter.

"Oh, okay," she replied, crossing her arms. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he offered, untruthfully. "I'm gonna get back to it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," he remarked. "The land ain't gonna clear itself."

"Well, at least take a cookie," said Michonne as she took two from the container that Carol had brought them in. She handed them over to Rick, their fingers lightly touching as he accepted the food.

"Thank you," said Rick, avoiding Michonne's gaze.

"See you later," she offered.

"Yeah," Rick replied, before leaving the two women confounded by his odd behavior.

xXxXx

The afternoon was pleasant; a light breeze, crisp and fresh, swept across the quiet community as the warm sun shone down. Rick removed his jacket, tossing it over the handle of a nearby wheelbarrow. He wiped his brow, reached for the wire cutter, and continued to fasten the trellises together. Soon they would be able to begin growing crops to sustain their increasing population.

Searching for his water bottle, Rick took a break from his toiling. He glanced over and saw Carl working away diligently not too far from where he was, turning the soil. Just off in the distance, something familiar caught his eye; it was Michonne. Rick watched her a moment as she walked with determination in her stride. He checked his wristwatch and wondered where she was going; she was meant to be taking sentry duty at one of the watch-points.

 _Maybe she's sneaking off to see that guy,_ thought Rick sourly. His better judgement told him to leave it alone; that it was none of his business what Michonne was doing, yet somewhere inside of him, he needed to know.

"Carl," he called out, getting the teen's attention. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay," replied Carl as Rick dusted his hands on his jeans and followed Michonne.

While Rick had taken some time to get to know most of the residents of Alexandria, some at least by name, he still was not sure of where they all lived. Watching as Michonne approached one of the houses and knocked on the door, he questioned who lived in the large home. The occupant answered and Michonne stepped inside; Rick could not see who it was from where he was standing. He exhaled loudly, bit his bottom lip, and then cursed himself under his breath for how he was acting. He cracked his knuckles, turned, and then walked away; his annoyance at an all-time high.

xXxXx

 _Later that same day…_

"Thank you, Rick," said Gabriel before he turned to leave. He and the leader of the community had been discussing plans for the new parapets. Rick took a moment to take in the immediate area inside of the walls of Alexandria. Work on the fortifications was progressing nicely. Teams were heading out on runs regularly to collect materials at least thrice a week while others tended to planting and nurturing fruit and vegetables; Rick went where he was needed. No task was too small or large. He really did want their new home to succeed despite all of the odds that were stacked against them.

She really was stunning, Rick mused as his gaze inevitably found Michonne by the main gate. He watched her whole face light up when a smile played on her features. The way her head tilted backwards slightly and her eyes rolled shut confirmed that she was laughing, though he was not close enough to have heard her. Rick felt annoyed by her reason for laughing: One of the residents, a man whose name escaped Rick's memory at present, was speaking with Michonne. Whatever it was that the man was telling her was amusing enough for her to laugh rowdily.

Rick narrowed his eyes and knitted his brow. He glared at the man and cared very little about the fact that he was staring openly. As if by instinct, Michonne caught Rick's gaze. She offered him a grin, which he did not return. Suddenly, after bidding her handsome companion goodbye, she made her way over to where Rick was stood looking woefully unimpressed. When she reached him, he hooked his thumb into his belt and tilted his head to the side; his eyes were glued to Michonne.

"Hey," she started. "You okay."

Rick nodded, "Yeah. You?"

"Sure," she replied, curious as to why his temperament seemed acrid.

"What was so funny?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Huh?" asked Michonne.

"Just before," Rick said flatly. "When you were laughing your ass off with What's-His-Name, what was so funny?"

"Who? Casey?" she rolled her eyes nonchalantly. "It was nothing…"

"Right."

"Rick," she said, stepping closer to him and taking in his surly expressing with her deep, brown eyes; a tenderness enveloping her demeanour. "You sure everything's all right?"

The softness in her gaze set his heart a flutter.

"Yeah," he lied, searching her eyes before looking away and stepping backwards. "I gotta go."

"Okay, I'll see you later," said Michonne as she watched him walk away.

xXxXx

Night had fallen and the Safe-Zone was shrouded in darkness, save for the soft glowing of light from the windows of the houses that were occupied. Rick's sour mood had remained with him for the entirety of the afternoon and well into the evening. As he stepped into the house he shared with Michonne, he sighed heavily and relished in the fact that he was about to have time alone to relax. Rick had purposely worked an extra shift at the main gate so that he would not have to interact with Michonne at home. He was upset, and not with her, but with the whole situation; Michonne had feelings for someone, and that someone was not him. He did not think he could stand to be near her knowing that her heart belonged to another man.

He entered the scarcely lit common area and flopped his weary form down on the sofa. As he went to remove his boots, he heard the familiar footfalls that belonged to Michonne. She flicked her hair away from her face and took up a seat beside Rick; soon thereafter, she threw him a sideways glance. He placed his boots to the side and leaned back into the couch.

"We missed you at dinner," she offered, studying his profile. His beard had come back. It was neatly trimmed. Even though she liked having an unobstructed view of his handsome face, she thought the beard suited him very much.

"Sorry," he said earnestly. "Took another watch shift."

Michonne said nothing in response; Rick often doubled up on his duties, so that was not bothering her. What _was_ troubling her presently was his foul mood. She settled back into the sofa; her bare arm brushed lightly against Rick's.

"How was your day?" she finally asked. Rick sighed.

"Look, Michonne," he proffered before standing. "I'm not up for talkin' about our days. I'm just gonna go to bed."

Concerned, she stood and took hold of his arm.

"Rick, are you _certain_ you're all right?" she pressed.

He found the worry on her beautiful face to be somewhat endearing; he covered her hand with his own.

"Yes," he supplied. "Just tired."

With that, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, wished her goodnight, and traipsed upstairs to his bedroom. Not too long later, when he had washed up and readied himself for bed, he lay on top of his covers in the dark. All alone, thinking about what a completely wonderful woman Michonne was, a sense of adoration overwhelmed him. This was something that had become a nightly occurrence for Rick. He would think of what a good leader she was; how she had helped to lead him in his own decision making. How she made everything easier for him by simply gracing him with her presence. He would then think about her beauty.

A small grin crept over his lips as he visualized her lovely smile from earlier that day. Seeing her happy put wind in his sails. Then, just as swiftly as the exultant feeling came to him, a small aching settled somewhere deep inside his chest as he realized that he, Rick Grimes, was not the reason for her current joy.

* * *

A/N: Damn it! This turned out to be sadder than I planned LOL

Will Rick own up to his feelings for Michonne? Who is this guy Michonne thinks is gorgeous? Does Rick have to cut a bitch? These questions will be answered in the next instalment. Thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks so much for the nice feedback on this. I love everyone's conjecture!

Sorry for the wait. Here's some more for you.

* * *

The morning was no different to any other that Michonne, Rick, and the children had settled into. Daryl was usually gone by the time that any of them rose from their slumber, so it was Michonne and the Grimes family most mornings. Judith was making a mess in her highchair as Carl and their mother figure made small talk, like they did regularly.

"…Carl, he's so cute," said Michonne before she took another bite of her apple.

"Well when do I get to meet him?" asked the teenager.

Before Michonne could answer Rick walked in; he rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes and then took a seat at the table.

"Hey, did you want some coffee?" asked Michonne, to which Rick nodded in the affirmative.

"Thanks," he said after she handed the cup to him. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

Michonne narrowed her eyes and searched his face; she stepped forward and placed the back of her hand to Rick's brow to check if he was feverish. She then moved her hand to his cheek.

"No need to make a fuss," he said, though he did not swat her hand away. "I'm not sick, just had a restless night."

"Well, make sure you take it easy today," she urged, taking another bite from her apple and placing her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You might be coming down with something."

He could not help but smile at her concern for him; it warmed his heart. He gave her a reassuring nod.

"I'll be fine," said Rick before sipping from his coffee. It was not the best brew they could find, given the circumstances, but anything from Michonne just felt so right.

"Okay," she said, drawing him from his thoughts. "I'm off. Be good, you two."

"You, too," said Carl as Rick watched the sway in her hips while she strode toward the front door. Suddenly, she halted and then turned. "Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll see you at lunchtime?" she asked hopefully. He felt a fluttering in his stomach.

"Yeah," said Rick. "You will."

xXxXx

The fragile paper felt crumpled to touch and the many lines of the map seemed slightly faded; a small gust of wind almost tore it from Rick's grasp as he examined it. Gabriel and Abraham stood beside him.

"Pass it over," said Abraham as he took it from Rick, placed it atop the makeshift trestle table; he weighted it with two bricks.

"Thanks," said Rick as he continued to study the map. "So, you think we should take the materials from these houses over the fence here?"

He pointed to an area on the map.

"Yeah," said Abraham.

"What about extensions to the community?" asked Gabriel. "Will this make it harder to fortify the expanded walls?"

"It'll buy us some time," said Rick. "Our immediate concern is getting the walls back to how they were. Making them stronger. The expansion will come later."

Gabriel nodded his head in understanding and then glanced over Rick's shoulder; a smile encompassing his face.

"Casey," he said. "Thanks for stopping by."

Rick turned his head as he heard someone approaching. It was Michonne's laughing partner from the previous day; Rick shot him an irritated look before clenching his jaw and placing his hands on his hips.

"No trouble at all," replied the young man as he smiled at the group. "I'm happy to help."

He greeted them warmly; Rick offered no response.

 _This is who Gabriel got to help us today?_ Thought Rick. _Great. Today's gonna be a long one._

...

The crew worked away industriously to ensure that the fortifications were on schedule. Rick and Abraham were building several small lattices since much of the heavy duty construction was being taken care of by a few other people who were well-quipped to handle it. The hour was fast approaching noon, and Rick was feeling somewhat eager that day to join Michonne for lunch. He recalled the optimism in her tone when she had asked him; a small smile spread across his face.

As if on cue, he lifted his gape to see Michonne headed their way; she too seemed eager for the two of them to share a meal together, like they had grown accustomed to. Their eyes meet and she flashed him a quick smile, one which he returned enthusiastically. Rick straightened his back and watched her approach.

As she got nearer, Casey, who was working away close to the wall, stepped over and stopped her. They began to engage in conversation, much to Rick's annoyance. He stared a moment longer before he was brought out of his daze by his construction partner.

"Rick?" said Abraham. "These damn things aren't gonna build themselves."

Rick shook his head and continued to assist with the lattices. However, he could not help but be drawn to Michonne and her friend. He watched their exchange from the corner of his eye a moment longer, before bringing the hammer down again to meet the nail; he barely missed his friend's hand when the tool came crashing down, hitting its target.

"Damn it, Rick!" Abraham exclaimed while pulling his hand away from the immediate danger. "If you're worried about some other man over there tryin' to cut your lunch, you should probably say somethin' to the little lady."

"What?" asked Rick, pretending he had no idea what the other man was talking about. Abraham rolled his eyes.

"You're over here watchin' Michonne when you need to be watchin' what the hell you're doin'," he said. "I get it, she's hot. But either you need to tell her that, sit that guy on his ass, or get someone else to help me with these frames 'cause I like having all o' my fingers and I am _not_ losin' any of 'em because you're distracted."

Now Rick rolled his eyes. He squinted in Michonne's direction; she was laughing again at something the young man was saying. Rick clenched his jaw, looked at Abraham, then back at the amicable pair.

"Casey!" he called out, getting both his and Michonne's attention; Abraham smiled and tucked his thumb into his belt, amused by the thought of what might soon follow. Rick walked towards them with the hammer swinging at his side. His face looked stern, his brow wrinkled.

"Rick?" the younger man replied, feeling overly uncomfortable with the expression Rick was now wearing.

The older man lifted the hammer and turned it over a few times in his hand. He stopped in front of Michonne and her companion; Casey swallowed hard as he took in Rick's steely gaze. Rick raised the hammer higher and then held it out to Casey.

"Here," he said, staring the younger man down. "Go and help Abraham."

Rick pressed the tool to Casey's chest and then turned his attention to Michonne.

"Let's go," he said before he trudged away; Michonne bid Casey goodbye and followed Rick until she caught up with him.

"What did you feel like today for lunch?" she asked, as if they had much variety to choose from. This is when she and Rick would talk about all of the food they missed from before the Turn. She found that she learned quite a lot about the man she admired and respected through this little playful banter. Today, however, he was quiet. Suddenly, Rick stopped.

"Go on ahead of me," he offered before turning around. "I gotta handle somethin' first, then I'll come home."

"Okay," said a puzzled Michonne as she watched Rick walk determinedly back to the construction area.

…..

 _Later in the evening…_

"Watch that pot," Michonne said to Carl as she stuffed a couple of cans into a plastic shopping bag. "I'll be back in a minute."

She pulled on a cardigan to stave off the chill of the early evening air and stepped outside. As she was walking out to the street, Rick met and stopped her. He placed a timid hand to her lower arm; his touch was gentle, his expression questioning.

"Hey," he said. "Where are you going?"

He glanced down at the bag.

"I won't be long," she offered. "I'm just going over to Casey's for a minute."

Rick let his hand fall away from her arm and breathed out an exhausted sigh. She furrowed her brow, before lifting her hand and placing it to Rick's face.

"Are you _certain_ you're feeling all right, Rick?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah," he said, backing away. "Go on."

Confused, she watched him plod up the steps and into their home. She would get to the bottom of his strange behavior when she returned, but right then, she rushed off in the direction of Casey's house.

After knocking a couple of times, Michonne waited eagerly for an answer. Casey peered from behind the white, lace curtain before reluctantly opening the door. He did not step aside to let her in, and she noticed.

"What's wrong?" asked Michonne.

"I uh, I don't think you should come by anymore," he said, looking down at the floor.

"Excuse me?" asked Michonne.

"I think it'll be a good idea if you didn't come around here," he rephrased and she sighed.

"You're not making any sense," said Michonne. "What's going on?"

"I don't want any trouble," said Casey. "Rick said…"

"Rick? _What_ did Rick say?" asked Michonne as she folded her arms. "That I shouldn't come here?"

"Look, he's a scary guy," said Casey. "I don't want to be in his bad books, so you shouldn't come by here again. Please."

She shook her head in disbelief.

"Here," said Michonne as she shoved the bag into Casey's chest, turned, and walked back to her house.

 _What the hell is Rick thinking?_ She asked herself. Her ire was rising, but dissipated when she stepped into their home and Judith made a fuss to be picked up by her. She kissed the little girl on her temple, carried her to the dining area, and shot her father an annoyed look.

"Dinner's ready," announced Carl as Rick tore his gaze away from Michonne.

…..

Silence pervaded much of the evening's meal, except for when Carl asked how long it would be before he could go out on runs again.

"Ask your Dad," said Michonne snidely. "He's the one who tells everyone else what to do around here."

Rick dropped his fork, leaned back in his chair, and shot Michonne a glare.

"You got somethin' you wanna say to me?" he asked.

Michonne sat up straighter and stared right back at Rick.

"Yeah," she replied. "But I'll wait. I wouldn't want to ruin dinner."

"Fine," said Rick as he picked up the fork and continued to eat.

"Yeah," replied Michonne. "Fine."

"Umm. Everything okay with you guys?" asked Carl.

"We're fine," both Rick and Michonne replied in unison.

* * *

A/N: Oh dear! This will be resolved in the next chapter. Yeah, I decided to do another chapter. I hope that's okay with you, Dear Readers.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This is where this story concludes. Thanks so much for the response to, and support for this little fic. I love you all.

* * *

 _Earlier in the day…_

Casey got to work right away after Rick had instructed him to assist Abraham; he hammered the nail into the lattice and then stood it up. He was engrossed in his task and did not hear Rick walk up behind him.

"Casey," Rick said; the younger man turned to face him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna go ahead and ask," he said sternly. Casey gave him a questioning look. "You and Michonne, what's goin' on there?"

"I'm sorry?" asked Casey, surprised by the query.

"What's going on between you and Michonne?" Rick pressed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, man," he replied dismissively. Irritated, Rick closed the distance between them. He stared up at Casey; his blue eyes steely and his jaw clenched.

"Just answer the damn question," he said quietly, barely above a whisper, but wholly menacing.

"Are you _serious_ right now, dude?" Casey asked disbelievingly, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes in Rick's direction.

"Answer. The. Damn. Question," said Rick, louder this time.

"Un- _fucking_ -believable. Are you really out here asking me if I'm screwing Michonne? I don't have to take this shit from you," said Casey while backing away. "And it's none of your damn business anyways. I'll screw her if I want to."

Before the younger man could take another step, Rick had grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him backwards; he then wrapped his rough hand around Casey's throat. The newly made lattice was knocked to the ground, grabbing the attention of those nearby as they focused on the altercation between the two of them.

"You fucking stay away from her, do you hear me?" Rick spat. "Do you fucking hear me?"

"Rick!" someone called, but he took no notice; Casey struggled to breathe and tried to loosen his attacker's hold by grasping desperately at his hand.

"You see her walking towards you, you turn around and walk the other way. She goes to your house, you pretend you're not home. Do you understand me?" he asked, his grip tightening; Casey nodded frantically. "Say yes."

A choking sound that resembled a 'yes' came from the young man's mouth. Rick relinquished his hold, turned, and then left as a few onlookers rushed to Casey's side.

 _Presently…_

It was quiet in the Grimes household. Rick and Carl silently cleared away the plates from dinner while Michonne tended to Judith's needs. When she returned to the kitchen, the younger of the Grimes hurriedly finished up his nightly duties before bidding the adults goodnight and joining his sister. Rick wiped down the bench with a dishcloth, folded it neatly, and then turned to face Michonne. She folded her arms across the front of her body as she leaned against the counter. The tension between them was thick and palpable. Rick needed to say something, but Michonne beat him to it.

"Why are you being like this?" she asked. Her gaze steely, matching his.

"Like what?" Rick asked in reply.

" _Overbearing_ ," she responded, causing him to furrow his brow and cross his arms. He tilted his head to the side slightly. "I don't get why you would tell Casey to stay away from me."

He remained quiet; Michonne sighed loudly.

"Did you tell him to stay away from me?" she asked for confirmation.

"Yes," he admitted, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Rick," she said incredulously. "Why?"

"Why didn't you tell me you found a guy?" he asked; Michonne gave him a confused, questioning look.

"What're you talking about?" she asked.

"You don't know him," he offered, not really giving her the answers that she was seeking. "You're spending a hell of a lot o' time with this guy, and you don't even know him."

"So you tell him to stay away from me?" Michonne replied, her frustration growing as she stepped closer to Rick.

"Well I can't tell you what to do, so I told him," he said as she shook her head in utter disbelief.

"Rick, I'm having a little trouble trying to understand what it is that's going on with you," she finally admitted; her voice lower, calm.

Then it was his turn to sigh.

"I guess I'm trying to protect you," he offered sincerely; his demeanor changing.

"From what?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I'll admit, when I overheard you talkin' about this guy you're so in love with, it threw me," said Rick as he tucked his hands into his pocket. "I know I have no right to be in your business, but I felt like there was, I dunno, something here between us."

"I'm sorry, I'm in love with a guy?" she asked, not having any idea what Rick was talking about.

"Come on, Michonne," he said, his irritation returning. "You're out here talkin' to anyone who'll listen about Casey, all the damn time. How he's so good looking and gorgeous and how you're so in love with him. I saw you skiving off over to his place. I know it's not my business, but… _hey. Hey!_ Where're you goin'?"

Michonne turned to leave as Rick followed behind her.

"Michonne!" he called out as she exited the front door. "Where are you going?"

"To get this sorted once and for all," she called back, not turning to look at Rick but knowing he was still in tow.

Rick jogged a little to catch up to Michonne as she walked up to Casey's front door. They stood side-by-side, in silence, each annoyed with the other to varying degrees. They could hear his footsteps approaching as Rick glanced sideways at Michonne briefly just as the door swung open.

The smile fell away from the young man's face when he saw the stern looking couple who had come visiting him that evening. He regarded the brusque man before turning his attention to the firm-mannered woman. He appeared somewhat skittish, so Michonne gave him a small reassuring smile.

"Hey, you two," he said hesitantly. "What's…ah, what's up?"

"Casey," she started. "Sorry to bother you again, and I won't keep you long, but would it be okay if we saw Major, please?"

Rick was now confused, but did well to hide it; Michonne stared straight ahead. Casey nodded and stepped away from doorway; he returned a few moments later. Rick's confusion soon turned to awkwardness when the younger man stood in front of them and handed the handsome, ginger cat over to Michonne. The creature purred and settled in against her as she stroked its coat.

The sheepish look on Rick's face was enough to cause Michonne to let out a little chuckle. He ran his fingers through his curls and shook his head.

"So, this is the guy you found?" he asked, his face growing red.

"Yeah," she replied as Casey stood awkwardly watching their exchange. "He's gorgeous, isn't he?"

xXxXx

"You need to apologize to him, Rick," said Michonne, as she sat next to Rick on their couch. The warm glow from the lantern lighting up her pretty features.

"I know, I overreacted," said Rick, taking in her profile before staring down at his hands.

"You choked him in front of everyone, so yeah, you overreacted," said Michonne.

"I was a jealous asshole," he admitted, glancing over at Michonne. He was always comfortable in showing his vulnerabilities to her. "I thought some other guy was taking you away from us."

"I'm allowed to have friends," she said softly. "And no one will ever take me away from you, or Carl, or Judith."

"I know that," he said. "I know."

"Well, why did it bother you so much if I did, you know, _find_ someone?" she asked; her expression grew soft, almost coy. Rick sat up and faced Michonne; she mirrored his action.

"I'm not good with words," he started. "So, I hope this comes out right. I guess it bothered me so much 'cause I have these _feelings_ for you. And just when I was ready to let you know, I thought I'd lost you to someone else; that I'd taken too long to even tell you, and see where it might lead the two of us. Instead of talkin' to you about it, I got jealous and let it fester. I'm sorry."

Michonne held back a smile. "You were getting jealous over a cat, Rick."

He laughed a little, "I know. I'm a complete dumbass."

"You are," Michonne chortled and playfully shoved his shoulder; his grin was wide and goofy.

"So, these feelings," she added. "You wanna tell me about them?"

"No," said Rick, surprising Michonne with his response. He had been so forthcoming about his jealousy, she thought that this new, open Rick would stick around.

"No?" she asked, knitting her brow.

"I'd rather show you," he offered, low and husky, before reaching his hand up to cup her face. Shortly thereafter, he leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was soft at first, but soon became more fervent as they parted their lips to deepen it. Michonne ran her fingers through Rick's hair, but soon pulled away from the kiss.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked, breathless and stroking her face. His eyes were full of adoration, relief, and a hint of arousal.

"I think," she said, gesturing down to where Major, the ginger cat, was scratching at her jeans, vying for her attention. "Someone's a little jealous of you."


End file.
